Clothes-drier



I 3 Sheets-Shee1 1.. H. E. BUCK.

CLOTHES DRIER.

(No Model.)

No. 581,931. Patented May 4,1897.

8344mm $15. $2. Q%

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3-.

H. E. BUCK. CLOTHES DRIER.

No. 581,931. Patented May 4, 1897,

IIELON E. BUCK, OF \VOROESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

CLOTHES-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,931, dated May 4;,1897. Application filed December 23, 1895. Serial No. 572,959. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HELON E. BUCK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inClothes-Driers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to clothes-driers, and to that class ofclothes-driers which consists of a frame carrying cords or wires uponwhich the clothes are hung and adapted to have a reciprocating motion ina horizontal plane on tracks supported just below the roof of the porchor piazza in connection with which the drier is used.

The object of my invention is to improve upon the construction ofclothes-driers above referred to as now ordinarily made, and moreparticularly to provide a covered or partiallycovered rail or track onwhich the drier-frame moves, and also means for clamping the drierframeto the track to hold it in place thereon, and also means for adjustingthe size of the frame; and my invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction of my clothesdrier, as will be hereinafterfully described.

I have shown in the drawings myimproved clothes-drier combined with theporch or piazza of a house.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a rear perspective View of theporch of a house provided with my improved clothes-drier, the under sideof the clothes-drier being shown. Fig. 2 is a detached side view of onecorner of the drier-frame and one end of the track and supporting-beam,showing the wheel which travels on the track about to engage theinclined surface at the end of the rail to clamp the frame to the rail.Fig. 3 shows the wheel or roll 011 the inclined surface and the frameclamped to the rail. Fig. 4. shows a detached portion of one of theadjustable bars of the frame. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line 5 5,Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a section on line 7, Fig. 1, looking in the directionof arrow a, same figure, showing the locking mechanism which secures theframe to the rail and which cannot be seen in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 shows adetached portion of a modified form of a covered track or rail which maybe used in place of the track or rail shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is across-section on line 8 S, Fig. 7, looking in the direction of arrow 1),same figure. Figs. 2 to 8, inclusive, are shown on an enlarged scale.

In the accompanying drawings the parts marked 1 are two wooden beamssecured in this instance to the upright posts 2 and the wall of thehouse 3, just below the roof of the porch. The outer ends of the beams 1project beyond the roof of the porch and are supported and held in arigid position by supporting-rods 5, secured to' the end of the beamsand to the side of the house. Upon the inside of the beams 1 are securedthe metal railso, in this instance by means of angle-irons or brackets7, which hold the rails 6 out from the beams 1.

The outer end of each rail is provided with an inclined surface on theupper edge thereof, in this instance consisting of a plate 8, secured bya bolt 9 to the beam 1 and having the flat surface thereof beveled offat each end to form an inclined surface 8. (See Figs. 2 and 3.)

Extending over the outer ends of the rails 6, which project beyond theporch, are hoods or covers 10, which are secured in this i11- stance tothe top of the beams 1. The hoods 1O protect the outer exposed ends ofthe rails and keep off the snow and ice.

The drier-frame 11 is preferably made of metal with cords or wires 12strung across the same, and consists of two side bars and the front andrear bars preferably of "'l shape in cross -section-that is, having aprojecting flange or lip at their upper edge. Said bars are boltedtogether at their ends to form the completed frame. Each side barof theframe is provided with two stands 13, to the upper end of which isjournaled a grooved wheel or roll 14:, which is adapted to. travel onthe upper edge of the rails 6. The front stands 13 are set back from thefront of the frame, so that the frame will extend out beyond the ends ofthe rails, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The flanged portion of the sidebars extend under the rails, as shown in'Fi g. 2, there being asufficient space between the lower edge of the rail and the upper edgeof the side rails to allow the frame to travel freely. By means of theinclined surfaces 8 at the outer ends of the rails the frame in itsoutward position is clamped to the rails, for the rolls traveling up theinclined portion 8 will raise the frame and clamp the upper edge thereofto the lower edge of the rail, as shown in Fig. 3.

In order to adjust the size of the frame to fit it to spaces ofdifferent width and length, I may make the front and rear bars and theside bars of the frame in two parts, which are adapted to slidelongitudinally on each other at their inner ends, which in this instanceare secured together in their adjusted position by means of a clamp'device or sleeve 15, which is slid onto one end, and then the other endinserted, so that the ends will overlap each other, as shown in Figs. 4and 5. A setscrew 16 is used to secure the clamp 15 in place.

I have shown in the drawings the front and rear bars of the frame madeadjustable to vary the width of the frame. The side bars of the framemay be made in a similar manner as the front and rear barsthat is, intwo parts-as shown in Fig. 4.

In order to move the frame in and out and to lock the frame to the railsat any desired point, I preferably provide a handle 17, which isattached to one end of a cord 18, which passes over a grooved pulley 20,mounted on a stand 21, in this instance on the top of the clamp 15 onthe rear bar of the frame and on the inside of a small pulley 19 on saidclamp. (See Fig. 6.) The other end of the cord lSis attached to aspring-actuated locking-bolt 22, supported and adapted to slide inguides 2a and 24 on the rear bar of the frame. (See Fig. 6.) A spring 23encircles the bolt 22 and bears at one end against the guide 24 and atits other end against a pin 25, extending through said bolt, and acts topush the bolt out from the frame and force the beveled end thereofbetween the rail 0 and the top of the side bar of the frame, as shown inFig. 6, to draw the grooved wheel or roll 14 down on the upper edge ofthe rail, and thus clamp the frame to the rail.

In Fig. 1 the tracks or rails 6, on which the rolls 14E of thepulley-frame travel, are only protected or covered at their exposedends, which project beyond the side of the building. In some cases itmay be desirable to cover the rolls for their entire length to keep ice,snow, &c., from collecting thereon and interfering with the freemovement of the rolls 14.

In providing a covered track or way for the rolls carrying the frame Iprefer to use the form of covered track shown in Figs. 7 and S. Thecovered track 28 is preferably formed out of sheet metal of a lengthcorresponding to the length of the track or rail desired and of a shapein cross-section corresponding to the shape shown in Fig. 8. Vithin thecov ered track 28 the rolls which support the drier-frame travel. Inthis instance the rolls 29 are made in pairs (see Fig. 8) and aremounted on a stand 30, secured to the upper side of the side bar 11 ofthe frame. In case the covered track 28 (shown in Figs. '7 and 8) isused it can be secured directly to the supporting-posts or to the sideof the house without the use of any supporting-beams, and the use of thehoods or covers 10 over the projecting ends of the rails, abovedescribed, can be dispensed with.

The advantages of my improvements in clothes-driers will be readilyappreciated by those skilled in the art.

I provide a covered track or way for the rolls which support the frame,so that the movement of the rolls will not be interfered with. I alsoprovide means for clamping the frame to hold it, and I also make theframe adjustable.

It will be understood-that the details of construction of some of theparts of my clothesdrier may be varied, if desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a clothes-drier, the combination with two beams, rails supportedupon the inner side of said beams, an inclined surface at the outer endof said rails, of a drier-frame adapted to extend under the rails, andcarrying wheels or rolls adapted to travel on the rails, and to ride upthe inclined surface at the ends of the rails, to clamp the frame to therails, substantially as set forth.

2. In a clothes-drier, the combination with two beams, and rails securedto the inner side of said beams, said rails having inclined surfaces attheir ends, and hoods secured to the beams extending over the exposedends of the rails,of a drier-frame adapted to extend under the rails,and provided with wheels or rolls adapted to travel on the upper edgesof the rails and ride on the inclined surfaces thereon, to clamp theframe to the rails, substantially as set forth.

3. In a clothes-drier, the combination, with a track, of a rigid framesupported thereby, and an inclined surface at the outer end of thetrack, for locking the frame to the track, substantially as set forth.

4. In a clothes-drier, the combination, with a track, of a framesupported thereby, the end and side walls of which are each formed oftwo bars "i-shaped in cross-section, and overlapping each other, asleeve at the overlapping portion of the said bars, provided with aset-screw, and means for locking the frame upon the track, substantiallyas set forth.

5. In a clothes-drier, the combination, with a track, of a frame belowthe track, wheels upon the frame and adapted to roll upon the track, alocking-bolt upon the frame, the end IIO of which is beveled and adaptedto be pushed be forced between the frame and the track to between theframe and the track to lock the look them together, a cord secured tothe bolt 10 two together, substantially as set forth. and provided witha handle, substantially as 6. Ina clothes-drier, the'combination, Withset forth. 5 a track, of a frame, below the track, support- HELON E.BUCK.

ing-wheels upon the frame and adapted to Witnesses:

roll upon the track, a bolt upon the frame, the J. O. DEWEY,

end of which is Wedge-shaped and adapted to M. J. GALVIN.

